DIY Corny Keg Carbonation Lid

[JuanMoore]

Maybe a dumb question. Can I just use the cheap stones intended for an aquarium aerator?

They usually have larger than ideal holes, may not be food safe, and are difficult to clean and sanitize. The SS stones aren't that much more expensive, I think I paid $10.

Do you have a setup like this for each keg, or do you open the keg and retrieve the stone when you want to carb the next batch? I'm specifically interested in what Juan is doing, since I don't really care to modify my keg lid and spend a bunch of money on parts if I don't have to (although, having a separate lid setup like this might be the answer to my question as it'd be easier to just swap it out with a regular lid when the beer is carbed).

I just pull it out after the beer is carbed. With the silicone tubing it's not too bad, but I imagine it would be a huge PITA with vinyl tubing. I still use the set and forget for a lot of my beers. The carb stone is nice for hop forward beers that I prefer to drink young though.

I force carbonate without a stone and have gotten great results! I don't see any need to pump the gas up so high though. I just use the following chart to dial in the exact force carb pressure for the temperature of the beer. I've bottled after 3 days and the carbonation was just right.

http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

That's how I carb a lot of my beers, but it usually takes 10-14 days, not 3. I suppose if you're shooting for 1.5 vol of carbonation it might only take 3 days.

 

[barryfine]

They usually have larger than ideal holes, may not be food safe, and are difficult to clean and sanitize. The SS stones aren't that much more expensive, I think I paid $10.



I just pull it out after the beer is carbed. With the silicone tubing it's not too bad, but I imagine it would be a huge PITA with vinyl tubing. I still use the set and forget for a lot of my beers. The carb stone is nice for hop forward beers that I prefer to drink young though.



That's how I carb a lot of my beers, but it usually takes 10-14 days, not 3. I suppose if you're shooting for 1.5 vol of carbonation it might only take 3 days.

I don't know how to measure actual carbonation on the homebrewing level, but I aimed for about 2.5 volumes for an ipa using that chart and it seemed properly carbonated to me. Below is the article that goes along with that chart that says that 3-5 days is all that is necessary.

FWIW, I think your carbonating stone is a great idea and something I may implement, but I have a lot more projects planned before I get to it. I was mostly just pointing out that I thought it was odd to pump up a really high and hope for the best. I'm sure it works, but I guess I just like being methodical about it.

Using a Carbonation Table Pressure Chart
Published On: Friday, November 21, 2008

Force Carbonating your Home Brew

Carbonating your home-made beer can be a little tricky. This handy carbonation table lists PSI (Pressure per Square Inch) against keg temperature to give you a quick reference guide for carbonating you ales over a three to five day period. This slow forced-carbonation process is the best suited for having foam-free home brew. This chart is color coded to reflect low, mid, and high levels of bubbliness, according to beer type (see key below). There is a faster method for force carbonating ale, however, the quick method tends to make the beer over-foam when first tapped. We will discuss both methods.

When utilizing the "Handy-Dandy Slow-Forced Carbonation Table featuring Pressure vs. Temperature in Degrees Fahrenheit", first consider the level of carbonation desired in the home brew you are making. Most brewers have a preference on either side of the standard carbonation levels, so use the lower side of PSI if you prefer a smoother ale, and the higher side if you prefer a bubblier brew. This table shows different volumes of CO2, based on the following ratio: 1 portion of beer containing 1 portion of CO2 is 1 volume CO2, and 1 portion of beer containing 3 portions of CO2 is considered 3 volumes.

Practically speaking, 1 volume of CO2 is too little for most tastes (blue region), and 4 volumes is too much (red region). Stouts and porters are on the lower side (dark region), ambers, lagers, and most other beers fall in the middle (green) region, with lambics and other brightly effervescent ales rounding out the higher levels of carbonation (the yellow region).

CO2 always infuses into beer more effectively at lower temperatures. Since most kegerators operate at a level of 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, you will notice that the CO2 volumes on the green region are emboldened and italicized. This is to help draw your eye to the area of the table that you will most likely be using for force-carbonating most ales.

The quicker method of forced carbonation, is best saved for emergencies where you need to get beer ready fast. By really fast, I mean ‘overnight instead of 3-5 days’, not ‘a few hours’, although you can probably get by with 5 hours if you modify the technique slightly. The ‘quick and dirty’ method requires you to have an extra long gas line going to your keg. Also, you must chill your keg as much as possible. The idea is that by stirring the solution of CO2 and beer, the two elements will mix more readily. After chilling your keg, hook up the CO2 and pump the regulator up to about 30 PSI.

Now, lay the keg on the deck and roll it back and forth. Make sure that your CO2 bottle is secure and won’t tip over. You will hear more and more CO2 entering into the solution as you agitate it. Do this for about 2-3 minutes, then disconnect the CO2 and let the keg sit and the CO2 settle down into the mixture as it is chilled once again. One to two hours later, go back to the keg and let off the excess pressure. Reduce the pressure to the proper amount of PSI for the beer you are kegging, according to the "Handy-Dandy Slow-Forced Carbonation Table featuring Pressure vs. Temperature in Degrees Fahrenheit". Let the beer settle now, overnight, in a chilled location. In the morning, the beer should be ready to drink.

If you are in a real rush to drink your brew (i.e., you can’t reschedule the wedding reception/bachelor party for later), you will have foam trouble, but you can still use the ‘quick and dirty’ method. You will still have to chill the keg of beer both before and after you apply the technique - by lowering the high pressure of the CO2 during mixing to about 23 PSI, you will improve your chances regarding over foaming. Try and make sure it has at least 3 hours to settle, though. One hour after the forced mixing, and two hours after the pressure normalization.

 

[JuanMoore]

Seeing as how commercial breweries don't use set and forget, rather a dialed in boost type carb method I find this carbonic acid thing a little curious.

AFAIK most commercial breweries carbonate with a carbonation stone. This is sometimes done inline while the beer is being transferred to the brite tank or serving tank, but more commonly in the brite tank or serving tank with the stone secured to one of the ports in the bottom of the tank. The only ones I know of that don't use a carb stone are <3bbl production capacity. Some commercial breweries use spunding valves to naturally carbonate the beer near the end of fermentation. This is essentially the same as the set and forget method, except the CO2 is coming from the yeast instead of from an outside source.

 

[CidahMastah]

AFAIK most commercial breweries carbonate with a carbonation stone. This is sometimes done inline while the beer is being transferred to the brite tank or serving tank, but more commonly in the brite tank or serving tank with the stone secured to one of the ports in the bottom of the tank. The only ones I know of that don't use a carb stone are <3bbl production capacity. Some commercial breweries use spunding valves to naturally carbonate the beer near the end of fermentation. This is essentially the same as the set and forget method, except the CO2 is coming from the yeast instead of from an outside source.

Regarding your points above I believe this is where you have pointed out the key idea regarding carbonation. There are many ways to skin a cat and this is no different. Breweries choose all sorts of ways from simple bottle carbonation to injecting liquid CO2 in a controlled dosage. At the end of the day we all get to the same place, with a good product.

And I am sure I have tried beers that have used all of the carbonation methods under the sun and it would be hard for me to argue that any of them have more or less (palatable) carbonic acid based carbing method. Now does a 3.5 volume carb have more than 1.0 volume carb? Yes. My argument is a 3.5 volume carb achieved by ANY method will have the same about of carbonic acid.

My original point was that you can get there, without any added hardware with the method that I and others have proven to be repeatable and reliable.

All that said, I encourage everyone to over complicate their brewing/carbing, etc. processes one gadget at a time (as I clearly have done ).

 

[I_B_Mongo]

Thanks for the idea bbar21! I got mine built today. Look forward to using it for an upcoming homebrewers beer festival I'll be pouring my beers at. I was worried they wouldn't be carbed up in time, but with this, looks like I'll be good to go.

 

[wailingguitar]

I purchased a stone for each of my serving kegs... attached to gas dip tube rather than a lid. Cost of stone and vinyl tube $17. I keep them installed at all times.

Someone mentioned commercial breweries not using 'set and forget' with CO2 stones. While some do, the majority that will rapid carb with a stone mainly do it for turn around times. You don't always have 48 hours to get a beer ready! What can be done in this case is to turn the pressure up on the stone and set pressure relief at the appropriate level for desired carbonation. Let's say your brite tank is at 40F, you might set your relief to bleed off at 13psi and put 30 pounds of pressure on the stone. The gas will diffuse through the beer fairly rapidly and the head pressure will keep a certain amount in the beer. Depending on a few factors, a tank could be carbed up in two or three hours. With a proper pressure relief this same method could be used by a home brewer. The major downside is that you have wasted a lot of CO2 as it bleeds off to atmosphere. In a commercial setting where the cost of the wasted gas is outweighed by the need to have the beer ready for packaging/serving this is a minor concern. For the homebrewer? Well, your call on the added expense/pain in the butt of extra trips to the gas company to refill your tank.

 

[dbrewski]

Let's say your brite tank is at 40F, you might set your relief to bleed off at 13psi and put 30 pounds of pressure on the stone. The gas will diffuse through the beer fairly rapidly and the head pressure will keep a certain amount in the beer. Depending on a few factors, a tank could be carbed up in two or three hours.

Amazingly good info. I love this site. :rockin:

 

[nhwrecker]

hi all,
there's some great info in this thread, particularly to someone like me who is still bottling but is getting ready to shift over to kegging. I found an interesting website that has some more detailed information about tank carbing - primarily written for the commercial side, but still seemed quite relevant to me.

http://www.meheen-mfg.com/tankcarb.html

and here's a video that they have a link to that shows bubbling from a carb stone (albeit a large, commericial size) based on pressure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXbK3qxDbtQ

 

[Quaker]

Just made one myself. Note - make sure you drill the hole close to the center of the lid. I got very lucky. I was almost too close to the edge (opposite end from the pressure relief), and it takes some finagling to get it into a keg.

 

[dallasdb]

Subscribed for reference

 

[jjbrewer]

I have my carb stones attached to the gas tube, and no, there are no dispensing issues

I assume you have to disconnect it before serving? I thought of doing this, but I had to stick my hand 5 or 6" into the keg to pull the plastic tubing from the gas tube. I'm concerned about contaminating the beer if my hand gets in it. What's your method?

 

[number40fan]

If I read that right, he left it connected the whole time. Even while dispensing the beer.

 

[JuanMoore]

I assume you have to disconnect it before serving?

Nope, not at all.